100,000 to 300,000 United States teachers will not be returning to the schools they teach at next fall. REALLY! That is exactly what we as a country need is more uneducated people! Are you serious?
The U.S. is one of the lowest scoring countries in the world on standardized tests in Reading Math and Science. Who do they blame? Not the parents that don't give a fuck about their children's education! No, they blame the teachers that are working day in and and day out to try and teach these kids with limited resources and out dated textbooks. Why is it that we cant realize that we need to focus more on the most up to date and accurate information possible to improve our advances in both science and medicine? I remember when I was in High School (10 years ago) I had books with the names of people my Mom when too school with on the inside cover. How is information that is nearly 20 years old going to educate someone when our advances from year to year are so vast that you would need to update them almost quarterly to keep them accurate? What I believe we need to do is spend every bit of money required to ensure the children of this country are well educated rather than cutting costs. We spend billions of dollars on war, foreign aid, prison reform, and welfare. I believe that we should cut all money to everything else before we ever even consider cutting costs with education. Were we to do this the other problems would take care of themselves. Educated people commit less crimes than the uneducated which would dramatically reduce the prison population. Educated people would find a better way to deal with our political differences with other nations that do not involve a full on declaration of war. An educated person would not need to go on welfare because they would be intelligent enough to get a better job. With more educated people we could find better more efficient ways of helping to feed, shelter, and improve the lives of other countries that are less fortunate than us.
So I say SHAME ON YOU Board of Education for not standing up for the importance of education in America, and Pres Obama SHAME ON YOU sir for supporting this idiocy!!!
It amazes me to see the country demanding two things simutaneously - educate children better so that they can ALL compete against the world's finest in math, science, and other subjects while spending less money. Doesn't work that way! We are now spending less and less on education and the results of those choices by state and federal agencies are beginning to make themselves apparent.
ReplyDeleteI agree with everything you say (I'm a public school teacher myself), but where to you get the 100,000-300,000 number? I haven't seen it anywhere else.
ReplyDeleteIt's one thing to complain about cutting educational budgets - I agree with you whole-heartedly - but where do you propose they cut from? I prefer to look at the bigger picture before I bitch about a corner of it. Some states budgets (FL, CA, MI) are squeezing water from stones at this point, so there MUST be something that gives. It's a bigger problem than just the president (who obviously opposes such actions if there is ANY other option) or some BoE. Don't go placing blame until you dig down to who made the decisions that caused such a cut to be needed.
ReplyDeleteI actually found a few different sources that Quote 100,000 or more and one that said up to 300,000 http://www.boston.com/news/education/k_12/articles/2010/05/20/education_chief_says_300000_teachers_could_lose_jobs/ here is the link of the Boston Globe article.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion which is what this blog is ultimately about they should cut costs absolutely everywhere before education is hit. I am ex military and I know how much money each and every weapon we manufacture costs because it was my job to build them, and we continue to make more while we have millions and millions already stockpiled.
ReplyDeleteOne of the only factors to performance in a school is the average educational level of parents and members of the community. Not funds. Not socio-economic status [although some would argue that is linked with education]. Let's get parents and community members educated and caring. As a high school teacher, I know the stresses of teaching without--we all do. I'd rather have actual and real support from my community, administrators, state, and country than more supplies for my classroom!
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, I can tell you who the blame lies with in Pennsylvania, at least. Our governor's proposed budget slashed the state higher education budget by FIFTY percent, and took the public school budget back to levels of several years ago.
ReplyDeleteThis hit rural areas like where I live far more than large urban areas because we don't have the local property tax base that a Philly, Pittsburgh, or even Erie has to make up the difference. At the same time, he made a vow not to tax the companies that will be allowed to drill for Marcellus shale on public lands, even though it's come out that a good chunk of the natural gas that is produced will be going overseas.